Minimum Wages for Domestic Workers from 1st October 2011

Minimum Wages for Domestic Workers from 1st October 2011 (and Allowances for those not resident on the property)


Wages were announced by the Minister of Labour on 28th September 2011, to take effect from 1st October 2011 and therefore payable from the end of October 2011, as –

 Yard/garden worker $85 per month, or $19,60 per week

 Cook/housekeeper $90 per month, or $20,79 per week

 Child-minder or disabled/aged minder $95 per month, or $ $21,94 per week

 Disabled/aged minder with Red Cross Certificate

or similar qualification $100 per month, or $23,10 per week.

Monthly allowances for those not provided with free lodging, water, lights and cooking fuel –

• Accommodation $50

• Transport $26

• Lights $ 5

• Cooking Fuel $ 5

• Water $ 5

This information is for your advance planning. It is likely that a Statutory Instrument, to give legal effect to the Minister’s announcement, will be gazetted before the end of October 2011. Even if gazetted later than that, the wages will no doubt be backdated to 1st October 2011.

(INSERT into George Makings What the Law says about Employment of Domestic Workers, 2011)